A group that supports victims of sexual abuse by clergy demonstrated Tuesday outside the chancery for the Diocese of Belleville to draw attention to allegations that a priest assigned here from Africa used his position as a spiritual counselor to manipulate a woman into sexual contact for over a period of a year.

“There cannot be genuine consent between a parishioner and a priest,” said Dave Clohessy, director of the St. Louis-based Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, in referring to lawsuit. “It’s just like there cannot be genuine consent between a doctor and a patient.”

The suit has not yet been officially filed. A draft of the lawsuit was filed in St. Clair County Circuit Court and does not specifically allege criminal behavior.